TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan sent 30 electric buses to Paraguay on Saturday as part of collaborative net-zero and smart technology efforts.  

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-Lung (林佳龍) and Paraguay’s Ambassador to Taiwan Carlos Jose Fleitas oversaw the buses loaded onto a cargo ship. Lin said in a Facebook post that the e-vehicles, built by Master Transportation Bus Manufacturing Ltd., are expected to arrive in Paraguay by February. 

Paraguay President Santiago Pena invited Taiwanese companies to participate in its electric bus pilot program, which seeks to improve the nation’s public transportation system. Pena allowed Taiwanese electric buses to enter the South American market and export Taiwan’s smart and net-zero technologies abroad, the foreign minister said.

Lin said electric buses can be integrated with smart transportation systems, big data, and AI technology to provide innovative applications. Electric buses are a cornerstone of building smart cities and represent a crucial sector for Taiwan in the dual transformation trends of digitalization and net-zero, he said.

The two countries are upgrading an industrial park in Paraguay’s second-largest city, Ciudad del Este, into a smart technology park to attract more investment and job opportunities. Lin said this initiative aims to position Paraguay as a strategic hub for Taiwanese businesses to penetrate the MERCOSUR market.

The bus shipment follows Paraguay’s ejection of Chinese diplomat Xu Wei (徐偉) after he called for a switch of diplomatic recognition to Beijing in Congress last Thursday. The diplomat was in Paraguay to attend an annual UNESCO meeting but skipped it to deliver his message. He was given 24 hours to leave Paraguay.